1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus, a hardware remote controller, and a remote control system, and in particular, a display apparatus which is used so as to produce a hardware remote controller capable of operating a plurality of instruments, a hardware remote controller which is produced using the display apparatus, and a remote control system including the hardware remote controller.
2. Background Art
Usually, in remotely operating home appliances, such as an air-conditioner, an accompanying dedicated remote control is used. Examples of the home appliances include a television, a recording instrument, an illumination instrument, a personal computer, and the like, in addition to the air-conditioner.
In recent years, as there are an increasing number of instruments including the home appliances at home, the number of dedicated remote controls increases, and there is a problem in that management or operation is not easily performed.
In order to solve this problem, a hardware remote control which can operate a plurality of instruments single handedly has been developed. This type of remote control is called a learning remote control. The learning remote control is made to learn the functions of a plurality of dedicated remote controls, whereby the functions of the respective dedicated remote controls can be unified in the single learning remote control.
However, the learning remote control registers and uses the functions of the dedicated remote controls to buttons arranged in a chassis in advance, and it is not possible to select the number of buttons, the arrangement position, and the like. Accordingly, in order to increase user-friendliness, many improvements are necessary.
With the recent widespread use of portable devices having a touch panel, such as smart phones, a technique relating to a software remote control using a portable device as a remote control has been also developed.
Pamphlet of International Publication No, WO2009/123030 discloses an example of the above-described technique, and a UI constituted by UI objects of various keys, buttons, and the like, which receives a user operation input is displayed on a display unit of a device. According to this technique, a plurality of UI objects can be displayed inside one UI display region on the basis of user's selection, and a plurality of UI objects can be selected from one UI or a plurality of UIs.
According to this technique, a plurality of UI objects are automatically arranged inside a display region by an automatic layout processing unit.
However, while an use frequency and an easy-to-press position, or the like of a button of a remote control differs depending on users, in the above-described technique, for example, there is a problem in that a user is unable to freely designate the arrangement or the like, and the request of each user may not be met. In addition, there is a problem in that it is not possible to realize functions beyond the functions of a portable device as a chassis.